The Quiet Before the Storm
by HerMajestyTravesty
Summary: When Alaizabel Greyson arrives from rainy London to the even rainier Forks, she gains the interest - and suspicion - of the Cullens. As they dealve deeper into her mysterious and disturbing life, a shock even Alice could not forsee awaits.
1. Chapter I

**Okay, hi everybody and welcome to m****y very first fan-fiction! Now, i'm fairly new to this, so if I start to delve into the realms of "fan-girl" fan-fic, please tell me, and generally other comments/reviews would be very much appreciated. My friend and fellow "fanficcer" - 'SacredAir' has told me how great you guys are in comments so my hopes are high!**

**Read review, but most of all please enjoy your self!**

CHAPTER 1: The 'Sore Thumb' proverb

Forks High School was just as I'd expected it to be. Large, bland and overflowing with hormonal teenagers. I hadn't yet got out the car when I saw two girls in the far corner of the parking lot shouting at each other, a small crowd of spectators gathering.

"Now, are you sure that you've remembered everything?" Dad asked me, a worried tug at the corner of his mouth.

"For the umpteenth time Dad, yes! Look, I'll be fine. Americans always like the English, it's our accent. They'll be asking if I have tea with the Queen in no time." I jested. It was a long running joke with my dad at how many times we got _"Oh my God, you're English? I love your accent!"_ while in the States. But I genuinely never got tired of it, it made me love the country more in fact. Back in the UK I'd been something of a wallflower, never really socializing out of school that much, so when I got the curious attention of the Americans, it made me feel special, even if it was only due to my accent.

I got out the car, pulling the heavy bag across my shoulder and waved a final farewell to my dad. As usual, he gave me a salute, and in response I stood ram rod straight like I'd been taught in Cadets and saluted back, the British way. Another long running joke in a family with much military history. I watched as the car drove off and round the bend, the tight feeling in my stomach growing by the second. I'd always dreamed of going to an American high school. The ones you saw in the movies although stereotypical looked so much more interesting than my girl's grammar school. Things seemed to happen there, not just plod along like a metaphorical hippopotamus.

I turned around and saw a couple people looking at me with a perplexed expression. They must have seen the salute. I blushed, feeling the heat prickle my skin. I wished I had long hair to cover my face, but my new pixie cut traitorously revealed my pink cheeks. Head down, I walked to the clearly marked reception, a rush of relief that I could get inside before more people saw me in a winter coat that made me look like the Michelin man. As far as I could tell, Americans, especially teenagers judged you a lot on your looks. And so far I'd only seen good looking people, my self esteem plummeting like a stone in a pond. There'd been the tall skinny girl with the dark curly hair: she's had the most sincere eyes and smile I'd ever seen, friendliness radiating out from her. Then the blonde girl with a short bob hair cut, strong featured and glamorous even with the layers of winter clothing. There was other slim girl, with very pale skin and deep mahogany brown hair. She had been chatting to the friendly looking girl when I'd spotted her, a slightly far away expression glazed over her when she wasn't talking. It made me wonder what she was thinking; she looked so buried in her own thoughts.

Inside the reception, the heater was turned up full blast so my coat that had been so cosy, suddenly became a furnace. I hurriedly stepped out of it (no way was I getting sweat patches on my first day) and tried in vain to sling it across my shoulder elegantly. It just looked like I was heaving a great big melted marshmallow over my short frame. Perhaps if my legs were just a bit longer, I could have pulled off a new-born gazelle kind of gracelessness, but being only 5 foot 3 something, I made it more like grumpy red-headed dwarf. Exactly the first impression I wanted to give everybody.

"Hello honey, you must be our British transfer. Finally, some culture around here!" a plump receptionist cried as she waddled over to me, her hands raised in mock despair.

"Yeh I'm the _English_ transfer. What do I need to collect before I start my lessons? Do I need to sign anything?" I asked, wanting the paperwork over and done with. And I hated how everyone else in the world labeled us as 'British'. You'd never see a Scot, Welshman or Irishman called a Brit, so why the English? One and the same – that was my basic motto.

She loaded my already tired arms with a burden of folders and paperwork, and marched me out of reception and pointed to the building my first lesson was in. Everybody else here was just wearing a long sleeves or a fleece, no-one else had a ski-coat. This chill must have been mild to them. The stares increased ten-fold as my mobile rang loudly in my pocket, and I jumped at it so much that I almost lost my balance, the folders swaying precariously.

'Stick out' wasn't strong enough a phrase – I was practically a different species. I might as well have had four eyes and a small water fountain erupting from my head, the looks I received were only worthy of that.


	2. Chapter II

**Okay – here****'s the next bit. I'm kind of on a roll here!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 – "Odd" doesn't even begin to cover it.

First period was Calculus. Perfect. I hated Maths with a passion, and I hadn't done it for a few months, seeing as I was allowed to drop it back in the UK. So far that was the only thing I'd missed. Numbers were not my friends, and the only Maths I was prepared to do was working out the new currency, which coin was a dime and which was a nickel. God, it was so confusing!

I wasn't late to class, and I thought a small prayer of thanks for that. I wouldn't have to be the last one to enter and therefore the centre of everybody's attention again just yet. I handed the timetable to my very uninteresting looking teacher, and headed for a seat nearest the front, dumping the mountain of folders as carefully as possible. I didn't want to walk past too many people, just sit down and calm down. My heart was thumping like a wild thing, and I felt uneasy how I couldn't get it to relax. _Oh just slow down will you? You're making my head ache!_

A flash of white flitted past the door, and my head jerked up instinctively. I was naturally curious about everything, and immediately my mind started wondering into all sorts of possibilities as to what it could have been; a ghost, an albino? But a second later the door opened, and it was just the pale girl I'd seen earlier. I sighed in disappointment. Nothing exciting so far.

"Hey, um, are you new here?" I heard a boy say behind me. I turned around, a little less gracefully than I could have hoped for, and met eyes with him. Blonde shaggy hair rested playfully over his face, and light blue eyes smiled at me.

"Um, yeh I am. Just moved from England" I said, keeping my tone quiet but even. I was psycho-analyzing my voice like a shrink. I didn't want to sound too shy or he'd ignore me, but I didn't want to sound overly confident either, in case I seemed brash.

His eyes opened slightly in surprise when I mentioned the 'E' word. I was slightly miffed that my arrival hadn't been known by anyone, but dad did always like to keep things about me quiet. He thought I'd _like_ being inconspicuous. The moron. Lovable – but still a moron at times.

"Wow, really? That's pretty cool. When did you move here?" he asked, his interest perked.

I was about to answer, when the teacher called the class to order. I groaned internally - this was going to be a long hour.

A small piece of paper skidded to a halt by my ankle. I looked at the girl next to me to see if it was something she's dropped but her head was bent low over her textbook, furiously copying out a question. I bent down and opened it tentatively on my lap where the teacher couldn't see.

"_What's your name? I'm Mike btw." _The scribble inside read.

_"I'm Alaizabel. Nice to meet you__, Mike. Is calculus always this boring?" _I wrote back before letting it drop on the floor behind me. Then I started to worry if he actually really liked Calculus, and if I'd already alienated myself from a student. When the note didn't come back, I really started to worry if he thought I was stuck up. _Nice one, Laiz. Make your self seem like a complete prat to the first person who talks to you! You'll be president of the student body in no time._

I could hear him behind me, chatting to a girl. Probably another model look-a-like judging by the standards I'd seen so far. No wonder he's lost interest in the new girl whose face was a little weird with deep set, slate grey eyes, a splatter of cinnamon freckles and full but certainly not finely carved lips. I used to have it called the 'trout pout' at my old school. I hoped the nickname wouldn't follow me across the Atlantic.

Second period passed with little interest to me. It was Government, and I knew nothing about American politics. At break, I walked to the surprisingly modern cafeteria and spotted Mike again. He was talking to the pale girl. Was she his girlfriend? I thought not by her reactions towards him – she seemed to be listening and responding, but really only to be polite. She still had a far away expression, and fleetingly I wondered if she was stoned. _Of course not!_ I reprimanded. She was actually quite beautiful in a weird kind of way, now that I concentrated. She had a look that could easily fit into anytime period; she wouldn't have looked out of place in a toga, corseted ball gown or jeans. Well, to me anyway. I think it was what you called "timeless beauty".

"Hey Alaizabel, come sit with us!" called Mike as he turned around and saw me standing in the middle of the hall, looking very lost. I smiled gratefully, and took a seat on the end of the row. The two other girls I'd seen earlier were there, along with another girl who was almost as small as me, with medium brown hair and a confident smile on her slightly tanned cheeks. She held hands with Mike as he sat down next to her. _Oh so, that's your girlfriend._

"Guys, this is Alaizabel. She's new, moved from England right?" he asked me. I nodded to confirm this. Suddenly the pale girl on the end grinned at someone across the hall and darted over. I must have looked taken aback by this because the friendly girl said "Oh, don't worry about Bella. She hangs out with the Cullens a lot. Anyway, I'm Angela, this is Jessica, Mike, Tyler, Ben, Eric, and Lauren" she named the table, pointing at each in turn. I got mostly smiles but the girl called Lauren gave me a frosty glare before giving me the bare minimum of a polite smile. I noted it duly and decided not to socialize so much with her; I didn't need any hassle here.

"Thanks Angela. Your school is very… nice." I tried to think of a better word but I didn't want to lie, and so I was staring around the room as I said the falsity – anywhere but looking her directly in the eye.

"Ha, that's ok. This school is pretty boring. The only good looking things here are the Cullens. Oh, and of course, Ben." She smiled shyly at the boy sitting next to me who grinned back at her. I guessed they were involved too.

"The Cullens? Who are they?" I asked, curiosity flaring again.

I heard Lauren mumble something unintelligible at the end of the table, but it sounded full of contempt. Jessica looked over to the other end of the hall, her eyes flashing with unashamed desire, along with everybody else on the table. I turned to see this spectacle that had them all lusting after it.

Beauty struck me like a cold slap of water. My hand instinctively moved to my mouth as it always did when I was surprised. There were six of them. Three boys and three girls. On a second look I noted that the third girl was actually Bella, but she was so surrounded by beauty, her face reflected it faithfully like a mirror. But the others? They were like living statues by the great masters, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Titian's work alive and kicking. They also were very pale, but they seemed a bit odd in their colouring. I noted that they all looked drawn, like the blood had rushed from their faces. They were so astounding, their skin seemed like silk. No, not silk. Marble. It was strong and hard, each muscle toned and taut.

They sat in pairs around a table, God was everyone here taken? Bella sat closely to an extremely good looking boy with bronze hair that shimmered as his head moved.

"Oh God, she's seen the Cullens now hasn't she?" sneered Lauren from the end. I ignored her voice and felt stupid that I couldn't bring myself to look away from the host of angels across the hall. The other guys were painfully attractive too. One had wavy blonde hair and an intense expression on his perfect face, his cowboy boots polished to a high sheen that I had only ever seen on military boots. The other was very tall, over six foot I imagined, with dark hair cut close to his head, and a mischievous smile that spread to his dark golden eyes. I knew right then and there that if either of them had asked me for anything, no matter what, I would have done it; they were too fascinating to refuse.

The girls made me just want to die. I felt so ugly against them that it made me want to run out of the hall, not out of self pity but because it would be detrimental to them, like an ink spot on the Mona Lisa or something. The one with the tallest boy was tall too, with long blonde hair styled artistically around her shoulders, and a face that could melt even the hardest of hearts, new Helen of Troy. I wondered if any wars had been fought in this school for her. Probably not, as I assessed her man. I doubt even a heavy weight WWW fighter would really like to go up against him, let alone a high school boy. The other girl was tiny, smaller even than me. She had the same impish smile that the dark haired boy did, and was talking to the blonde cowboy with obvious devotion. Her short black hair bobbed enthusiastically as she spoke, and I could tell her voice was high and optimistic, although what she was actually saying I had no idea.

The boy with Bella looked up suddenly and his head flicked over to meet my gaze. At first I saw a hint of confusion, but then I saw genuine shock and apprehension behind hardened topaz eyes. Bella followed his gaze to stare at me and I heard my name along with the fact that I was new being mentioned. All the Cullens were staring at me now, except the small dark haired girl, who was listening to Bella. I turned around to face my lunch again, a feeling of awe and shame mixing in my gut.

"Yeh, they're pretty weird huh?" said Mike disapprovingly.

"Yeh, very odd." I agreed.

That had to have been the biggest understatement since the Big Bang.


	3. Chapter III

"Um, Bella? Bella?" Mike whispered in English, the next day. He was sitting right in front of me and I was astounded at how far he was leaning across his table to talk to Bella. He was going to fall off his chair if he went any further.

"Yeh, sorry Mike. What did you say?" She answered after a moment.

"So are you going to come down to Port Angeles with the guys at the weekend?" he prompted with a stage whisper, an eager (overly eager I'd say) grin plastered across his expectant face.

"Yeh, sure. I wanted to check out that new store anyway…" her voice trailed off slightly. I could tell she was lying through her teeth. Either the store held no interest for her, or the trip itself.

"How about you?" Mike asked, turning around to face me.

"Er, I guess so. I'm pretty sure I'm free. It'll be on Saturday, right?" I replied, taken aback.

"Yeh sure thing!" Mike said, turning back round to pretend to pay attention to the teacher.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure none of them ask you stupid questions in Port Angeles, ok?" Said Bella, also turning to look at me. She flashed me a small warm smile, I think she intended it to be reassuring. It was, as I took it's meaning to heart. Now that I had exchanged verbal communication (well, she had – I just nodded really), I began to gain a liking towards her. She was quiet and that suited me fine – I was always a bit of a chatter.

Mike's truck was abysmal. Crowded into the back like chickens in a battery farm, I prayed silently for the drive to be over almost as soon as it started. Everybody was trying to include me in their conversation which I was appreciative of, apart from Lauren, who continued to give me the cold shoulder. I followed suit with her, as two could play at that game. Snobby cow.

Port Angeles itself was very kitsch, reminding me of the many tourist holiday traps I'd seen all over the country. But the guys knew the good places, and we all went to the movies to see the latest action flick. All the girls made groaning noises at the particularly gruesome scenes: a soldier just got his hand stuffed down his own throat by a savage in the Amazon jungle. Very realistic. I however was grinning like a fool, merely because I genuinely liked the pointless violence and adrenaline that these movies entailed. It wasn't like I got that kind of a rush from anything else. Well apart from the obvious scaling down skyscrapers in my spare time of course.

At the end, some went for a soda at the local café, while most of them went off to go shopping or to the arcade. Bella and I were sitting alone on a table, both sipping at our Mountain Dews in silence.

"Um, I know this might be a bit nosey, but are you going out, I mean dating the boy you were sitting with at lunch? I think he had reddish coloured hair." I said, waving my hand to appear vague, as if I hadn't memorized exactly what he looked like, every fine bronze strand of silky hair, the way his smile had tugged at the corner of his excellent mouth when he had been talking to her. Damn her. Damn her to hell.

She blushed deep scarlet, a confirming yet tentative grin starting to form.

"Uh huh. That's Edward." She mumbled.

"Wow. I hope you don't mind me saying this but, you're so lucky. He's er… quite a looker." I tried to find words that wouldn't sound too adoring, ignoring the ones that automatically came to mind - perfect_, gorgeous, sexy, worship worthy, Godlike_.

I almost considered getting down on my knees and begging to know how on earth she'd bagged him!

"Mmm. He _is_ quite dazzling." She commented before giggling at some private joke. Her face changed suddenly, like she'd remembered she had to do an annoying but necessary chore. "Actually, I was talking about you with him today. He's quite interested in 'people-observing'. He thought you seemed a little er, quirky." She said like she was reading from a script. It didn't seem like she wanted to say it, coming out almost reluctant.

"Oh, ok. What do you mean, quirky?" I enquired perplexed at her tone.

"You know, just like the accent, the hair - usual stuff." She replied, a little too quickly. Wow, she really was quite strange. Maybe the Cullen's were rubbing off on her.

I let it slide, pretending to be sipping my now empty cup to excuse myself from talking further. I wasn't going to be the one to break the malleable awkward silence that shrouded us both.

That night I had troubled sleep. I kept dreaming I heard voices outside the window, hushed and low, the words indecipherable. I woke with a sweat; the heat burning through my skin was intolerable. I reached out to turn the clock to face me when I knocked over a glass of water that I had not put there. Dad constantly did things like that. As much as I loved him, it got annoying after a while, as it was pretty creepy to find something that you know you didn't put there. Great, I had spilt it all over the carpet, and man was I thirsty. I contemplated sucking it from the carpet for a moment in drowsy delusion, the voices from my sleep sniggering quietly.

"Oh, shut up" I mumbled. I could have sworn I heard a tiny "_ok" _but I was still dog tired and my imagination tended to run away with the light.


	4. Chapter IV

Woo, number 4. This is so addictive. Ok, I'm slightly nervous about this chapter as I'm writing from Edwards point of view here. I really hope I'm faithful to his character, but if I deviate, please do tell me! I would like to be as accurate as possible!

Thanks again, & enjoy!

Chapter 4 – Edward: Déjà vu all over again.

This was ridiculous.

This was far too similar to the day I'd first seen Bella in this bland excuse for an educational facility. A new student, check. Only this one had kept her arrival quiet. I only found out about her through the repetitive thoughts of _"her, I don't recognize her…?"_ emanating from the bland psyche's of the Forks High School students as she passed them. I watched her through their thoughts, with little interest but a curiosity of the outsider all the same. She was very subtle in her body language, as if she was calculating each and every movement to send out a subliminal message of some sort. She burdened her mind with worry over what others thought of her. Normally, I would judge, but I forgave her this. She was new, it was normal to want to be liked by a group of strangers who you would have to see every day for a few years. I could hear her thoughts, though they were a little hazy. This was expected as I had yet to come into her physical presence, and her voice was new. I surprised me though, that I heard an English accent to her them. I knew this would give Carlisle a little glow of nostalgia when I told him.

Another similarity the day had to my first encounter with Bella was that Mike Newton was already swooning like a moon struck calf.

"_Perfect! A new girl and no more Cullens to take her first," _I saw the mute thoughts of distain around my name and Bella's. "_And you know what; she's actually not that bad looking either. Nice figure, finally someone else apart from Jess! And man, look at those lips. Angelina Jolie, eat your heart out. Huh, who'd thought I'd go for a girl with shorter hair than me though…"_ Mike wondered. I frowned at the crudeness of his thoughts. Most impolite to think of a girl like that, even if you thought nobody heard you.

But then I scrutinized her features myself. From what I saw from other people, Newton had a fairly accurate description of her. Small, almost as small as Alice. A crop of pixie blonde red hair rested atop a heart shaped face with a peaches and cream complexion, a smattering of freckles on her small straight nose, and admittedly full lips. The eyes were wide and darting, curious as a raccoon, but as quick as mercury. I did not think of the other parts of the description Mike had so kindly given me. I would not do that; it would have brought me down to his level.

I all but forgot about her until break. I saw her enter to cafeteria, her thoughts now clearer and full of worry about alienation as I expected. As she sat with Newton and his group, I saw her scrutinizing the body language of every one on the table. My my, she _was_ perceptive. I heard her silently admiring Bella. It was interesting to see her view on my beloved, as I'd never really thought of Bella the way the new girl did. _"Timeless"_. Bella would have been happy to hear that. It would have fitted in with her fixation on immortality quite nicely. I chuckled quietly.

Bella spotted us and all but flew over to our table, wafting the new girls scent along with her own delectable one.

That was the first thing that struck me as odd. Humans, although each unique, typically had a musky scent, a mixture of pheromones, hormones and blood. This girl had a smell I could only describe as salty and stingingly fresh, like breathing in strong mint after being in a sauna. Another oddity was how _cold_ the scent was. The blood itself was warm like any other, but the scent somehow dropped to just above freezing the moment it touched the air.

I heard my family being mentioned, and the table's thoughts were all trained upon us now, a crucible of envy, admiration, distain and subtle, subconscious fear. I saw her turn to stare at us through the minds of her peers. I didn't look over yet; I was transfixed on Bella who was playing idly with the small wolf and crystal heart charm bracelet on her delicate wrist.

I heard a small gasp from the table where the girl sat, and the scent hit me again as she lifted her hand to her mouth in awe. It confused me so much, that I could not resist and I turned to look at her. She was staring with open wonder, her full lips parted in a silent _oh!_ But as soon as I locked eyes with her, liquid dark gold to briny grey teal, all playful confusion vanished from my face, replaced by open trepidation at the noise I had never heard before radiating from her like sonic waves.

The ringing was long and loud. But as I listened closer I realized it was _screaming_. Full of longing, sorrow, hatred, temptation and fury mixed into a long cry.

Bella was aware of my sudden defensive pose around her, and explained to me who she was. Her name was Alaizabel, new here, and had just moved from England. I knew that much already but what I didn't know was _what_ she was. I was rarely frightened, but this girl disturbed me down to my unbreakable bones. All my family was now looking at her too, trying to find the source of my unsettlement.

"_What? I don't see anything. Oh can't Edward give being all intense a rest, please!?" _Emmett thought.

_"Oh she's the new girl. Look at her, staring at us like Gods, can't say I blame her, I do look amazing this morning…" _vainly thought Rose.

_"Edward, I don't see anything wrong, nor do I feel anything wrong with her. But it's not easy to keep _**you**_ calm right now. You have to tell me the moment we're at home. Carlisle too."_ warned Jasper.

_"I'm only pretending to listen to Bella not to freak her out, but I'm worried. I don't know what you hear in the girl but when I see her, it's all gone wrong! Everything changes before I have a chance to focus. Talk to me as soon as!"_ Alice's clear bird like voice echoed.

The girl finally broke her gaze and turned her back on us. But the ringing continued along with my now insatiable curiosity and a creeping dread that worked its way up my spine like a hellish invisible spider.


	5. Chapter V

Tadah – chapter 5 ! Back to Alaizabel's Point of view. (For future reference, any chapter that doesn't have a character name at the front is from Alaizabel.)

Chapter 5 – A very odd encounter

As i climbed into the steaming hot bath, i sighed in relaxation. First week at a new school and i had no major complaints. Everybody was really quite welcoming: apart from Lauren and that gorgeous Cullen boy, but it didn't bother me as much now.  
The more i thought about him though, the more curious i became. I remember clearly what he looked like, it was as if the image had been branded upon the insides of my eyelids. I saw him and his family every time i closed them. I saw clearly the details i had failed to pick up before. How each of their movements were tiny but accurate, hitting their intended target the first time round. It seemed silly, but it was weird how they never needed to look at what they were reaching for and yet the grabbed it perfectly. I breathed in deep, the hot vapors staining my cheeks bright pink. Yes, i saw more things now i thought about them, i started to hum a song i didn't know. I had thought them living statues when i first laid eyes upon them due to their flawless beauty, but now a more fitting reason came to mind. When not moving deliberately, they were still. Completely still - just like statues. I giggled at this, but i didn't know why. It just made me feel a bit giddy. And how odd it was that they all had pitch black or dark gold eyes, although if i remember what Jessica had told me correctly, the only two who were actually biologically related where the two blondes, Jasper the cowboy and Rosalie the super model. I'd come up for nicknames in my head, i liked to characterize people, it was a minor hobby. Emmett i had named the Hulk, Alice the pixie, and Edward i had named the poet. He had the feeling, (i didn't want to use "aura" and sound all mumbo-jumbo) of a creative yet tortured soul, as poets were supposed to have. He was just so intense about _everything!__  
_I had my first Art class of the week. I didn't even realize Bella was in my class last time i was in there. But now she sat right next to my easel, looking downright uncomfortable. _If you don't want to sit there, get up and move, stupid girl._ I couldn't help but think as I saw a multitude of empty easels at the back.  
She saw me as I walked over, and gave a small smile, filled with genuine amnesty and _apology?!_ God, that girl was really weird. But I still liked her in a funny kind of way; she made me feel a little more down to earth and logical when i talked to her.  
We started drawing the fruit bowl in comfortable silence; well, comfortable of my half. She looked like she was sitting on a bramble the way she fidgeted.  
"Alaizabel," she asked quietly after a while "are you, ok?"  
I almost laughed aloud at the irony of the question. But I put on my _"i-haven't-a clue-what-you-mean"_ face and replied "I haven't a clue what you mean, Bella? Why?"  
"Well it's just..." she struggled for an ending "i dunno. i was just worried how you're settling in i suppose." she didn't seem satisfied "So there are no problems here then? Everyone's being nice to you, yeh?" she probed.  
"Er... yeh Bella. Everything's really ok at school. Scout's honour!" i attempted to joke. But she wasn't done.  
"How about at home? How're things at home?" i could practically see her thoughts spelt across her furiously red cheeks - _ground, open, swallow, NOW!__  
_Now it was my turn to go all red and mumbling. I didn't realize she was going to hit such a nerve or I'd have prepared myself better.  
"Bella," i said through gritted teeth "everything is _fine_. At school, at home, just fine. K?"  
i didn't think it possible for her to go more red, but she managed it somehow. I felt slightly guilty for being quiet so aggressive in my last reply. I started to hum the unfamiliar tune to keep my mind of the situation.  
The bell went and i prayed silently in thanks


	6. Chapter VI

Chapter 6 – Bella: Inside Agent

I laughed out loud when Edward first told me what he heard.

"A scream? You heard a scream? Hah, I don't know why you're so upset. You keep going on about how _I_ should be running away from you all the time screaming, yet when someone actually does that to an extent, you get all… all… moody!" I guffawed.  
He gave me a dark look before resting a cold hand on my shoulder.

"Bella this is not like that. It was not a normal scream. Besides, people don't scream in their minds like they do out loud, it's not the same thing." He let go of me, shaking his head in confusion.  
"I've never heard anything like that, Carlisle" He turned towards the blonde vampire standing in the doorway, as still and calm as stone. "It was like any normal human mind, and then as soon as I caught her eye... I didn't know what to do! She seems to be completely unaware of it. Have you any idea?"

I knew exactly what he was asking Carlisle. He wanted to know if he had ever, in his centuries on earth, heard of any myth or fable that could explain this. Ever since the whole werewolf stories of the local Indian tribe had be proven true, Edward and Carlisle held stories of the ancients of all cultures to be based on, if not entirely true.

"No Edward, I have not heard of much like this. The only thing I can think of right now is a _Banshee_. But they're typically found in Ireland and you say the girl is from London? Hmm." He drifted into thought, allowing Edward to scan all his ideas. I sat down gracelessly; annoyed that I was being left out of the mute conversation.

"Yes, that could work." Edward piqued at a silent idea. I coughed loudly, lifting an eyebrow into a well honed "_well?!" _expression. Carlisle chuckled at my attempted look of sophisticated annoyance, and I lost my nerve and stared at the floor, blushing that damned red blush.  
"Carlisle thought that as the girl seemed unaware of her... odd characteristic, she probably means no one any harm. An offensive is not necessary. So both of us will listen to her tonight as she sleeps, perhaps her subconscious can reveal something. But we need you as well Bella..." He trailed off.  
Now i was really confused. What the hell could _I_ find out about her? I had no special gifts for reading minds or being an encyclopedia for the weird and wonderful!  
"We need you to interact with her socially. Talk to her. We'll give you a subject and Edward will be listening to see if it happens again. Maybe if we can find out what causes her to do that, we can figure out _what_ she is." Carlisle explained.  
"_What_ she is? Carlisle, she's just a teenage girl. I'm sure she's human, so it -"  
"No, i don't think she is." Edward cut in.  
"What?" Both me and Carlisle said together, his tone more of curiosity than of my utter bamboozlement.  
"Her scent was off. She had a heart beat no doubt, and her blood was warm. But the scent itself was cold. Like she was breathing through ice. I've never experienced anything like it Bella. It's not something a human should be able to do, consciously or not." He said seriously. He nodded at something Carlisle thought.  
"Bella, we'll need to get started on this straight away. Next time you're alone with her, bring up Edward. Say that he noticed her. We need to see if it is something to do with us that sets it off." Carlisle said.  
"Yes, and then bring up something like her emotions. How she's fitting in at school, friendships, love life, home life, school work. I'll see if she reacts to anything." Edward added.  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I felt utterly wretched. After one of the more gory films I'd ever care to see, I'd finally got Alaizabel alone in the Cafe. I knew Edward was there. He'd been at the back of the cinema during the movie, eyes trained on me and Alaizabel. Now, he was sitting behind her, a few tables away so she wouldn't see. I had looked over at him once while she was reading the menu, shrugging to see if he'd heard anything. The somber shake of his head answered my questions. Nada. Zilch. Great, it was all up to me now.

Then she did me a big favor and brought up Edward all by herself. THANKS. I was trying to make an excuse not to have said anything. I saw Edward glaring at me when i didn't immediately carry on the conversation, so I reluctantly continued.  
"...he said you seemed pretty er, quirky" I said. That was the understatement of the century. More like full blown circus freak by his ramblings.  
She looked really confused at this, as if I was speaking a foreign language all of a sudden. But then a look of realization and embarrassment flashed across her steely grey eyes. They perplexed me, the colour was hard and unforgiving, not representative of the girl behind them at all.  
The conversation didn't get any better from there. When I finished, she started drinking the Mountain Dew that was obviously empty, humming quietly an eerie tune that sent goosebumps on my skin.

After the weekend, I was assigned to carry on this tedious espionage. This was going to be awkward. I actually really liked Alaizabel. She seemed genuine and unashamedly curious, which was a welcome break from people trying to be all polite and stamp down their wonders. And she was really quite sweet too. I noticed that when it snowed for the first time, although I had groaned and others had whooped in delight at the idea of a snowball fight, her eyes had filled with an absolute wonderment, just like a child. It was really quite heart warming. While others had been goofing around in the snow, shoving it down each others collars, she had quietly been standing in the corner, ungloved hand outstretched and catching the tiny fluffs of white as they came floating down, her fingers dancing on a non-existent breeze. It was like she was hypnotized, and she hummed that strange tune again, only this time it was softer, more mellow and lulling.

I sat next to her easel in art. I was going to have to talk to her about her _feelings_ today. Great. I dreaded the idea of trying to probe into someone's emotions, it just didn't feel right. Like looking through somebody's diary. When she saw me she looked surprised and then a slight hint of frustration glanced across her full mouth, tugging the corner. Aw Christ. This wasn't going to make it easier if she was already annoyed. I fidgeted nervously, glancing over my shoulder and out the window. Edward was standing in the shadows of a tree and nodded once. _Breathe, Bella, breathe!__ I chanted the mantra in my head 'til the words became meaningless sounds._

_  
_"Alaizabel, are you..." oh how was I going to put this? _A banshee? A mythological screaming fairy thing? _"Ok?" I finally managed the original reply.  
Her reply came back as confused as it had in the cinema. Edward would lecture me if I didn't probe further, though it was just painful to do so. I asked about school and then her home.

Bingo. Pain seared across her face like a branding iron, her lips pursed and white. Her hand that had been sketching an apple was frozen in mid air.  
"Bella, everything is _fine_. At school, at home, just fine. K?" she replied finally through gritted teeth. I nodded, though she wasn't even looking at me. She was staring into space, a blank look of hurt pouring out of her eyes like water. She hummed again as she started to sketch, the song harsh and frightening, like a promise of malevolence in song. The bell rang and she left quietly and quickly, the tune echoing after her down the corridor.  
I felt utterly ashamed. I didn't know anything about her family life and for all I knew she was still recovering from something really bad, and then I had to drag her through it again. I was truly annoyed at Edward for making me do that, and I turned around with all intentions of giving him my most disapproving stare. But his expression silenced my face.

He'd heard the screaming again.


	7. Chapter VII

**Hey hey, readers!**

**Well, let's think. I have exams coming up, so just a forewarning that there may be a delay in the next chapter. But it shouldn't be more than a week.**

**Also, thank you very very much to those who have reviewed, or emailed me to tell me what you like. You don't know how exciting it is to see a new review!**

**So, for those of you that haven't reviewed (gasp) you have no excuse now. I reply to every single one, so start typing!**

**Ok, this chapter is a bit short, it's more of a link to the next big event. But enjoy anyway!**

Chapter 7 – Was it something I hummed?

Wow.

Just WOW.

I couldn't think of anything else as the Cullens and the Hales took their seats at lunch. They all looked heart achingly stunning, even Edward whose face was tight, like he had a headache. I gave into glorious daydreaming as I ran through various romantic encounters with Emmett, Jasper and Edward, (though, I promise, not at the same time). It was using all my self control not to grin like a fool. Hey, a girl can have a little fun inside her head, it's not like I was even going to attempt to make them a reality.

"Hey 'Laiz, catchy tune! Where's it from?" piped Angela.

I blinked back blankly. "Excuse me?"

"That song you were humming, it was really nice. Where'd you find it?" She repeated.

"I wasn't humming." I replied defensively.

"Oh, um ...ok" Angela mumbled.

"Hey Bella!" called Mike, with such a puppy dog expression, that I could practically see his tail wagging.

Great. I really didn't want to have to look her in the eye. I had been quite harsh to her in art, and I felt terrible. She was just trying to be nice, look out for me. But why, WHY did she have to go and bring up home? It wasn't like I was ever going to forget about it, I didn't need reminders!

I studied the floor as she sat down on the opposite side of the table. I glanced up at her and held back a gasp. She looked _awful. _She was all pale, well more than usual, and had a sickly green cast about her.

I wanted to hold her trembling hand, but I was afraid it might shatter if I did. She looked so frail all of a sudden.

"Are you ok?" I managed to ask.

She laughed, "I haven't a clue what you mean."

I had to smile a bit at that. At least she had a sense of humor.

"Bella, you look really ill, maybe you should-"

"Bella," a gorgeous, drawling voice cut in "come over to my table. I've got some painkillers."

I looked up and locked eyes with a God. Jasper was beautiful, I couldn't deny it. Did he really have a soft golden glow, or was it just the light behind his corn coloured hair? I wouldn't have been all that surprised if it had been the former.

Bella stood up, visibly less shaken. "Yeh, ok. See you later." she waved to me as Jasper put his arm around hers. The green tinge melted away from her face at his touch. I couldn't have blamed her. He was magnificent.

After lunch I headed straight for English. I was fumbling in my bag as I entered the classroom, my damn keys were stuck at the bottom, and I walked straight into my desk, an excruciating reverberation of pain clanging in my hip. It didn't help my already touchy mood, and I scowled at the window that was reflecting my face. I looked so murderous, I had to turn away.

Half way through the hour I was surprised as the girl reading "The Russian Concubine" aloud stopped and the teacher called, "Miss Greyson? The tune is very nice, but would you mind saving it for Music please?"

Miss Greyson? Wait- that was me! I looked up as the class sniggered.

"S-sorry?!" I stammered

But they had gone back to reading the book. This was stupid. I was not humming! Or whistling or singing or whatever. I wasn't doing anything!

"Yes you were." came a different silken voice behind me.

i jumped slightly, but I didn't look around fully. I had a pretty good idea of who it was. My heart was pounding like tribal drums, my mind garbling incoherently. But I was still defensive.

"No I wasn't" I whispered, ignoring the fact that he'd answered something I had not said aloud.

"Talk to me afterwards" his whispered. I glanced at his reflection in the window, and he looked like he was concentrating very hard. Or that he was restraining him self, I didn't fail to notice the aggressive body pose or the way his hands looked like they were ready to attack. Fear rippled through me and my jaw set in an involuntary vice. But then a stupid realization hit me, and the fear subsided, making room for sheer disbelief.

I spent the rest of the lesson gaping. Me, talking to Edward Cullen. I knew he was taken and I would never dream of trying to split him and Bella up. They just went together so well, it just was impossible to think of them NOT together. And there was no way I wanted to be the one to ruin what was obviously the most intense and loving relationship I'd ever seen. To do that would have been cruel, immoral. And anyway, I doubted he would be wiled away by any charms _I _possessed.

But even so, I was going to be talking to _Edward Cullen!!_

But what the HELL did he want with _me_?!


	8. Chapter VIII

**Ha-ha, surprise! Ok, exams are not nearly as time-consuming as I first thought (perhaps that's not a good thing; maybe I should be worried…)**

**Well anyway, I desperately wanted to get this new chapter out now that a few reviews and subscriptions have started coming in! ENJOY!**

Chapter 8 – You ain't nothing but a _really big_hound-dog.

The bell went, but somehow Edward was already outside in the parking lot waiting by his Volvo. I was biting the insides of my cheeks to stop my self grinning. It was just _too good_. I mean, he was practically so beautiful it hurt to look for too long.

I'd clearly gotten over the hostility he'd shown me on the first day. Perhaps he was going to apologize or something.

I was trying very _very_ hard not to stare directly at him, but it was harder than you'd expect. I gave into glorious temptation and gazed into the bright golden eyes of the tall boy standing 20 yards away.

Suddenly a look of pure surprise and annoyance flashed over them, turning the liquid honey to hard amber. His head snapped quicker than was right to the main road and his upper lip bared brilliant white teeth. A purring noise was getting closer, or did he just _growl?_

No, it was the drum of a motorbike getting closer. An absolutely _HUGE_ man was riding in black leather on the back of a gorgeous looking bike. Edward was glaring at him with clear odium.

The biker ripped off his helmet in one large swipe, revealing bronze skin, medium length jet hair, and strong chiseled yet boyish features. Teasing even.

I saw a very unsubtle grin of defiance flashed toward Edward who was looking like he might collapse in anger. Or pain. I couldn't tell, but he was rubbing his temples like he had the mother of all migraines.

The biker glanced around, waved playfully at Alice who surprisingly waved back. I'd never have guessed in a million years that they had the same social circles.

And then the big black eyes rested on me.

I felt an immediate sense of trepidation about him, even though his face held no cause for concern. It was just the size of him was enough to block out the sun, had there been any. Forks seemed perpetually murky.

"Are you the new girl?" he asked, but he obviously knew the answer.

"Uh huh" I managed to reply. How the bloody hell did he know about me?!? I'd never seen him in town before, but then again I had only been here less than a fortnight. But surely I wouldn't have missed someone like him; it would be like not noticing a wolf in the middle of Trafalgar Square!

"Great! Oh, I'm Jacob Black. I live on the local reservation, yunno La Push? Indians." He explained when I didn't register what he meant the first time.

"Oh, um right. I'm Alaizabel. Well, it's nice to meet you Mr. Black."

"Aw, don't be calling me that! I'm only as old as you guys! Only my dad gets called Mr." he grinned an infectious grin.

"OK." I said, feeling less intimidated by the big bronze giant.

_"JAKE?!?"_ Bella's familiar voice shot through 2 octaves in one word. Impressive.

"Uh oh. Here comes trouble..." he sniggered under his breathe to me, as if we were old friends. I didn't know why, but I felt completely at ease now. His friendliness was saturating through me like warm water.

He strided over to her in 2 steps.  
"Jake, what in the name of all that's holy are you doing here. Edward will-"

"What? Bust my ass right here? He wouldn't dare." Jacob jibed. I had to agree. I had thought Emmett was serious stuff but he was pips compared to the sheer SIZE of the Indian boy.

"Look i just wanted to see what the fuss was about, that's all. Seriously" he shrugged.

"Who told you?" Bella was suddenly very serious.

"Oh, well Seth was talking to Emmett and i guess he isn't as discreet as you guys thought." Jacob grinned.

"Crap. But, why today Jake? Couldn't you have called me first?" she whined.

"And risk not seeing the look on Edwards face? Not a snowballs!" he said, hand clutched to his chest in mock horror.

"Vini, Vidi, Vici. Is there anything else?"

"Huh?!" Jacob said dumbfounded.

"Did you not pay attention in 8th grade history? You came, you saw, you conquered – happy Caesar? Anything else?" she seethed, her frustration badly veiled.

"Yeh actually. Me and the guys were going fishing at the weekend, gonna explore some of the caves on the headland too. I wondered if you wanted to join us. Emily will be there too. She misses you" his voice was suddenly very sincere and pleading.

"Fine. Just no more un-announced visits, please!" she begged.

"Cross my heart." he gave her a hug I would have expected to crush her before turning back towards me. It only occurred to me then that I'd been staring the whole time.

"Hey, new girl! you too!" Jacob cried.

Bella wasn't the only one who was livid. As I walked past the Volvo, I caught a glimpse of Edward in the bonnet. He looked so furious that I quickened my pace, just incase he decided to fling the car at me or something.

Stupid idea, but you know what they say about adrenaline rushes.

**Ok so, what do you guys and gals out there think? For those twilight fans out there who know their Cullen quotes, I hope the last line was a nice little tid-bit for you. I can only get better if you guys gimmi some feedback.**

**Thanks!**


	9. Chapter IX

**Ok guys so here's the deal. This story is **_**very**_** long, so I've decided to put it into 3 separate stories. A trilogy if you will. So this, my lovelies, is the last in the current "book". FYI the next will be called "The Brewing Storm".**

**Keep a look out for it, and please send me your reviews. What did you think of the first Book? Any chapters, characters, plot bits that you like in particular?**

**Enjoy!**

The beach was covered in a thick fog. It was really very creepy, because you could only just make out where the water started, making the sky, sand and sea mould into a huge bank of pearl grey.

But Jacob and his friends were adamant that we were still fishing.  
"The fog makes the fish calmer, more likely to come closer to the surface."  
"But how will you know which way is back to land?" I had asked anxiously.  
"We've got a compass. That's all we really need." he answered like it should be comforting.

It wasn't so much the getting lost at sea bit that worried me, it was the sea itself. I hadn't swum since the age of 5 when I almost drowned in the strong current of the Devon shoreline. Neither I nor my father wanted me near water again after that. But I guess I had to face my demon sometime. Just, why today? The eerie atmosphere only heightened my frayed nerves, not soothed.

I was already wearing two lifejackets, and looking sufficiently poofy. Jacob held back a snort when he saw me, but Bella punched him in the arm. "Be nice" she growled, "She's scared of the water."

I wanted to ask how the hell she knew this, but I assumed that she was just logical. Why else would someone make every excuse not to go out on the water, but to stay with Emily in the cabin, and then eventually wear two life jackets although one could easily have buoyed a small cow?

As soon as the bottom of the boat was no longer touching pebbles, the land disappeared behind a gossamer curtain. It was so strange, because you couldn't really tell if you were moving. A shiver ran up my spine that had nothing to do with the air temperature. My jaw tightened into a vice and I could feel my teeth protesting at the pressure. But it was better than screaming.

Bella held my hand when I started shaking. I looked down shamefully. God, what a wimp was I!? I should have just said no to begin with, instead of trying to fit in and then look like a complete fool. But I learnt pretty quick that Jacob didn't really take no for an answer. He'd practically dragged me to the boat when he saw me hesitating at the waters edge. No, he HAD dragged me. Man, that boy was strong. I guess he was just being playful, but he didn't really place himself in my good books for doing that.

The boys, Quil and Embry, got the fishing lines set up, while Bella chatted absently to Jacob. I sat in stony silence. If i talked, I was going to start crying. I just kept remembering the horror of that dreadful day, the pressure on my skull, my tiny limbs failing wildly, being pulled this way and that.

And the screaming. I had screamed when I pulled out, crying desperately for my parents. My parents had screamed when I went under, the life guards had screamed to each other, the crowd had screamed when they though I was dead. It was terrible. I wanted to get off the boat. Desperately, as my mind was convinced that my life depended on it. But I couldn't open my mouth to tell anyone, so I sat there, suffering in absolute silence.

"Alaizabel, your going blue in the face! Your life jackets are too tight, take one off!" Jacob said.  
I shook my head.  
"Come here," he leaned over, and in two swift pulls, _both_ life jackets were off.  
"I want you to sit like that for five minutes, you need to calm down. Look, see, life jackets off but your still in the boat!" he jibed. I think he meant well, but I couldn't see that. Everything had become a garish neon colour, like someone had turned up the contrast on a TV set. Panic morphed into anger.

"g-g-g-GIVE THEM BACK!" I yelled, lunging at him. Surprised, he dodged my flight, and my legs got tangled in fishing line.

I teetered on the edge for a split second before the weightlessness began as I plunged into the freezing endless water.


End file.
